Protect your Instagram. Instagram security

All social media accounts, like Instagram security, represent a serious element to consider. In general, social media platforms, which collect and store huge amounts of personal information with limited governmental oversight, rserve as appealing targets for those seeking to use personal data in order to commit fraud and theft. When your personal information is threatened, the consequences can be damaging.

Criminals are proficient at cheating social media users by transferring sensitive information and stealing personal data. We at InstaShop consider and place our users’ social Instagram security in the first row. Consequently, we will present to you how to protect your Instagram account from hacking. Do not forget that Instagram is not only a social media platform, but an efficient tool to promote your business, selling your goods through Instagram Business Tags and gaining incomes via marketing and influencing methods. 

Check what your Instagram is linked to

You can link your Instagram account to:

• Mobile phone;
• E-mail;
• Facebook page.

In most cases, hackers are changing the Instagram username and password when getting access to it. Because of this, Instagram is sending messages through listed sources in time the password is modified. The sooner the password change is detected, the sooner you will be able to act properly in order to recover your Instagram and minimize the potential damages. 

You can also enable the “two factor authentication” method via email or Facebook. It will guranteely keep your Instagram security high and let you know if someone tries to access your Instagram, as any unusual log in your Instagram or password change will be communicated. If a hack does occur, and your email is at your fingertips, you will receive an instant notification and will be able to take action as soon as possible. 

Create a second mail for communication 

Try to avoid displaying the email which is linked to your Instagram in the public domain. We would recommend you to create a business email and share it on your Instagram for business purposes. The fewer people know your personal email address, the lower the risk of hacking is. In order to increase the amount of followers that might contact you via business email, boost Instagram account with us. 

Add some pictures where your face can be clearly recognised

Often, Instagram business accounts are impersonal. We perfectly understand your goal to keep your account professional, but we can guarantee that there are methods through which you can both post a picture of yourself and keep your Instagram professional. 

You can:

1. share a photo of you via a “Meet our team” publication
2. show a pic with you within the working process 
3. illustrate how the product should be used

 In this situation you will be able to validate yourself as the real Instagram account owner and create interesting and informational Instagram content. This kind of pictures will help determine the owner of the page in a disputable situation. Please note that the support service may request a scan of your passport. Therefore, it is desirable that the real name and surname be indicated in the profile, if you own a personal blog. 

Do not log in your Instagram through unreliable devices or websites 

Many users experiencing Instagram hacks can relate that the mistake of logging in their account threatened their Instagram security , which consequently led to their data theft.
The solution is simple - always make sure you are logged out of all devices. We also would recommend you to check the “Login Activity” through Instagram security settings and log out of any device. 

How to recover your Instagram account

You have to be aware of both: the means of keeping your Instagram security guarded and the recovery measures that have to be taken in case your account is hacked. 

If you can no longer log in your account, try resetting your password via email, Facebook, or your phone number. On successful login, enable two-factor authentication.
If you do not receive notifications from Instagram when resetting your password and cannot log in through Facebook (if it was connected), it means that your account is already attached to another email and separated from your email and phone number. 

 In this case, we recommend sending a request to Instagram support:

1. Click Forgot Password.
2. Open your account login page in the Instagram mobile app;
3. Enter your nickname, mail and phone number linked to your account.

If login failed:

1. On the password recovery page, click "Need more help?" and enter all the requested information. Check the box next to "My account has been hacked." Send a request and wait for a response to the specified mail.
2. If you do not receive a response within a few days, please repeat your request by ticking the box next to “I forgot the email linked to my account”.

Instagram username after hacking?

If you managed to restore your Instagram account, you would need to change your nickname to any free one. Including your old username, if it has been changed.
In some cases, a change of nickname may be a condition for restoring access to the account on the part of Instagram. In this situation, we recommend using a nickname that is as close to the previous one: for example, add a period or an underscore.
If your account has been deleted, you can create a new account with the same email address, but using the old username will most likely not work.

What not to do

1. Offer scammers a reward or agree to buy back the account. Most likely, the account will not be returned or you will be asked to pay extra (and pay a little more).
2. Be very active immediately after regaining access to your account.

As Instagram became a meaningful aspect of our life, we would recommend you not only to grow Instagram account, but also take care of Instagram security. Stay tuned in order to find more interesting and useful articles.